4th Regiment ROTC? Cadets complete APFT

Cape Coral resident among those participating in exercise

July 12, 2013

JOINT BASE LEWIS-MCCHORD, WASH. - Reserve Officers' Training Corps Cadets were pushed to the limits on their physical abilities during the Army physical fitness test, June 21 at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington.

The APFT is broken down into three parts including the two-mile run, two-minute push-up and two-minute sit-up. Each Cadet completes all three and then receives a score based on the Army's APFT score chart.

Cadets must pass the APFT based on Army standards for age and gender in order to qualify for the Army.

Article Photos

Photo provided

Cadets during the Army physical fitness test June 21 at Joint base Lewis-McChord, Washington.

To pass the APFT, Cadets must receive at least 60 points in each event.

"What is expected here at LDAC is verifying or validating from campus how well they do PT," said Lt. Col. Todd Hourihan. "Holistically PT is huge for an officer in the Army just as for a Soldier because it is a pure sign of leadership."

Cadets get a demonstration first of how to properly do push ups and sit ups from the Cadre who will be keeping count for them. If done incorrectly, their hard work will not be counted toward their score.

Doing well on the APFT is important to Cadets as future Army officers.

"You can't lead soldiers without being out in front," said Cadet Jessie Betts, a resident of Cape Coral from the 4th Reg. of University of North Carolina, who was first in the run. "You can't lead from the rear at all."

After completing APFT, Cadets move into the training phase of LDAC where they will be assessed on their abilities.

A total of 6,064 Cadets will call Joint Base Lewis-McChord their home for 29 days of training in the Army's largest intra-continental training exercise.